I On Politics

MEEKS ON INDICTMENT OF 12 RUSSIAN OPERATIVES FOR DNC HACK: Senior Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee and Ranking Member of the Europe, Eurasia and Emerging Threats Subcommittee Representative Gregory Meeks issued the following statement concerning the 12 Russian operatives indicted on July 14 by Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein and the Russian Investigation:

“Today’s indictment against Russian military operatives, who were found to have hacked DNC servers to obtain data (on) 500,000 American voters, is further proof of Russia’s cloak and dagger interference into our elections. I am deeply disturbed by my GOP colleagues’ continued efforts to derail this investigation, and their willful ignorance of the intelligence community’s assessments. Make no mistake, our nation is under attack, and the GOP has been derelict in their duty to defend the United States.

“More concerning is the fact that President Trump was briefed earlier this week on the upcoming indictments, yet he nevertheless chose to lavish Putin with praise all week during the NATO summit, while denigrating our closest allies. Also of extreme concern is the timeline of these hacks, which occurred on or around the same day Trump publicly encouraged Russia to hack Hillary’s emails.

“Trump encouraged the very espionage that aided his candidacy and, rather than take action to prevent future meddling, has instead promulgated conspiracy theories about a ‘missing’ DNC server, which his own DOJ has explicitly disproven in court. It is time for all members of Congress to put their affiliations aside and come together as Americans to address the blatant threat to our security.”

QUEENS ASSEMBLY MEMBERS SUPPORT SENATOR PERALTA: NYS Senator Jose Peralta has been endorsed by his colleagues, Assembly Members Jeff Aubry and Michael DenDekker, for his reelection campaign to continue representing Senate District 13 in Albany. Senator Peralta said, “Assembly Member DenDekker and I have worked closely to build a safer community by strengthening pedestrian and traffic safety laws, while Assembly Member Aubry and I have worked to connect our shared communities to necessary resources and improve our schools, parks, and businesses.

“As we move forward, I am confident that our partnership will bring more positive results for our Queens communities that we call home, and I am looking forward to our continued progress because there is much more to be done. I am proud to have earned their support!”

RAMOS GETS ON BALLOT 5X OVER, FOR SENATE DISTRICT 13: Democratic candidate for State Senate Jessica Ramos announced that her campaign collected over 5,100 petition signatures for her to get on the ballot as a candidate in the Democratic Primary, more than five times the number of signatures needed. “A Queens native, daily subway rider, and mother of two, Ramos is among many firsttime candidates across New York successfully rallying grassroots supporters with an unapologetically progressive vision to fully fund our public schools, pass real rent reform, and fix the subways,” according to her campaign literature.

“This campaign is powered by boots on the ground, and I want to thank each and every single neighbor who answered our call to turn this seat ‘true blue.’” A Democratic candidate for Senate District 13, Ramos said, “Collecting over 5,100 signatures shows that this is not just my fight— it’s ours.”

Under New York state election laws, Democratic candidates for State Senate can qualify for the September 13 primary by collecting either 1,000 or more signatures, or signatures from over five percent of the district’s registered Democrats, whichever is fewer.

CHIN ENDORSES CATALINA CRUZ: Catalina Cruz, Democrat for State Assembly (39th District), earned the powerful endorsement of NYC Council Member Margaret Chin, a progressive leader for seniors and a champion for Asian Americans. Chin is the first Asian American woman elected to the City Council and the first Chinese American in the City Council to represent Chinatown.

“Catalina Cruz is an incredibly effective advocate for working-class New Yorkers, immigrants, and seniors,” said Council Member Chin. “I’m proud to endorse her because she’s an inclusive leader that knows how to bring people together to get things done. That’s why I’m confident she’s the right person to represent the diverse communities of Elmhurst, Jackson Heights, and Corona in the State Assembly.”

“I am running for the State Assembly to be a voice for the voiceless,” said Cruz. “Like Council Member Margaret Chin, I am an immigrant who understands that government is the only institution that can protect our most vulnerable communities. Council Member Chin has dedicated her life to advancing women’s rights, immigrant rights, and workers’ rights. I am proud to have her support and I look forward to building upon some of the great work she’s done for underserved New Yorkers. Our campaign is about creating a grassroots coalition of support from all parts of our community that works for our community.”

An immigrant herself, Margaret Chin was a founding member of Asian Americans for Equality, a group dedicated to empowering Asian Americans and others in need and she served as the board’s president for four years. She was also the chair of the New York Immigration Coalition, a policy and advocacy organization which works on issues concerning immigrants and refugees.